1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to tools. More specifically, the invention relates to a tight-spot pulley remover for removing pulleys from power steering pumps.
2. Description of the Related Art
One of the most common forms of power steering in vehicles, such as family cars and trucks, is based on hydraulic power. A power steering pump provides the hydraulic power for the power steering system. The power steering pump comprises a pulley (i.e. a grooved wheel powered by a belt driven by the vehicle's engine) mounted on a drive shaft that runs at least part way through the power steering pump. More specifically, the pulley is mounted on a pulley hub surrounding the pump's drive shaft. A hub flange extends axially from the hub to define a gap between the hub flange and the pulley called an annular groove.
A more complete description of the annular groove and mounting of the pulley on the pump drive shaft is found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,266,859, issued Jul. 31, 2001 to H. R. Hernandez. The '859 patent H. R. Hernandez is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. A general description of hydraulic driven power steering systems is found on the world-wide-web at, for example, URL: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/steering4.htm. A tight-spot pulley removal tool that exploits the annular groove is disclosed herein.
Power steering pumps sometimes require maintenance necessitating the removal of the power steering pulley. Unfortunately the power steering pump is often located in a tight spot (i.e., a restricted space) under a vehicle's hood (i.e., engine cover). Thus, there is a need for a power steering pulley-removing tool that can be used in a tight space.
It is hard for a mechanic or human operator to maneuver tools accurately in a tight spot. Complex or multi-part tools are particularly difficult to handle and adjust in a tight spot. Thus, there is a need for a simple tight-spot pulley remover that can be used in a tight spot.
In addition, different vehicle makes and models also have different makes and models of power steering pumps. For example, the Chrysler and Ford motor manufacturers have slightly different power steering pump pulley setups, and more specifically pulley hubs with slightly different external shapes. Thus, there is a need for a tight-spot pulley remover that can easily accommodate the subtle differences between, e.g., a Chrysler pulley hub and a Ford pulley hub.
Some prior art pulley removers use a forcing screw to apply a push force against the shaft on which the pulley is mounted thereby forcing the pulley off the pulley. However, there is a natural tendency for pulley removers to rotate while in use removing a pump pulley. Thus, there is a need for a tight-spot pulley remover that counters this tendency.
Other prior art pulley remover tools are inflexible because they do not offer more than one pulley-docking member on the same pulley remover tool. For example, a power steering pulley remover (part #: CJ117C, hereinafter “the CJ11C device”) is supplied by Snap-on Technologies Inc., Kenosha, Wis. (NYSE: SNA); details of the CJ11C device can be found at URL: http://buy.snapon.com/catalog/search.asp?partno=CJ117C. Each CJ117C device has one docking port for docking to a pulley. Thus, if a vehicle mechanic finds that a particular CJ117C device is unable to dock to a particular pulley setup the mechanic must try another CJ11C device or tool. Thus, there is a need for a power steering pump pulley removing tool with more than one docking member fitted to the tool; for example, there is a need for a pulley removing tool with a first and second docking members to respectively remove a Ford and Chrysler steering pump pulleys.
Mytoolstore.com (www.mytoolstore.com) provide a pulley remover and installer set (part #: KD 2897, see URL: http://www.mytoolstore.com/kd/kdbatt07.html) that is overly complex and difficult to use in a tight spot. Likewise for the ASTRO 7874 pulley remover and installer set (part #: ASTRO 7874, see URL: http://www.mytoolstore.com/astro/asthan17.html). Thus, there remains a need for a pulley remover that offers more than one docking member per pulley remover tool.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,266,859, issued Jul. 31, 2001 to H. R. Hernandez, describes a power steering pump pulley removal tool that grips the annular groove of a pulley setup. The '859 power steering pump pulley removal tool makes use of a handle (listed as a handle member #18) to counter the rotating force applied to the functional equivalent of a forcing screw (listed as a drive bolt member #20). However, the '859 power steering pump pulley removal tool is overly complex in design and use compared to the present claimed invention. In addition, the '859 device is overly large thus making it hard for a human operator to use the '859 device to remove a power steering pump pulley located in a tight spot.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a tight-spot pulley remover solving the aforementioned problems is desired.